List of Canadian writers

This is a list of Canadian literary figures, including poets, novelists, children's writers, essayists, and scholars.

Contents: Top – 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z – See also

A

Milton Acorn (1923-1986) poet, has published 18 volumes of poetry
Ian Adams (born 1937)
Charlotte Vale Allen (also known as Katherine Marlowe) (born 1941) romantic novels, expert on child abuse
Grant Allen (1848-1899), The Woman Who Did
Sidney Allinson
George Amabile (born 1936)
Rod Anderson
Hubert Aquin (1929-1977) modernist Quebecois novelist
Gilles Archambault (born 1933)
Jeannette Armstrong (born 1948)
David Arnason
Joanne Arnott (born 1960)
Margaret Atwood (born 1939) The Handmaid's Tale (1985), Alias Grace, Surfacing
Phillipe-Ignace Francois Aubert du Gaspe (1814-1841), author of the first French Canadian novel.
Margaret Avison (born 1918) poet, has published 8 volumes of poetry

B

Ken Babstock
D.F. Bailey
Himani Bannerji
Volodimir Barabash (1900-1989), poet
Bruce Barber
Steve Bareham
Gary Barwin (born 1964) novelist and children's author
Ronald Bates
Bill Bauer
Nancy Bauer
Henry Beissel, (born 1929)
William Bell
Nigel Bennett
Pierre Berton (born 1920) prolific author of Canadian History, journalist and TV personality
Dennison Berwick (born 1956), literary travel author now working in fiction
Gerard Bessette (born 1920), Quebecois author
Navtej Bharati Indo-Canadian poet
Carol Biberstein, children's book Great Grandma's Rocking Chair
Sandra Birdsell, (born 1942), has published 3 works of short fiction and 3 novels
Earle Birney (1904-1995) anti-conventional poet, also wrote novels, short stories, drama
Bill Bissett (born 1939) poet, famous for incorporating sound and the visual into poetry
Lise Bissonnette
Neil Bissoondath (born 1955)
Marie-Claire Blais (born 1939)
Clark Blaise (born 1940)
Christian Bök (born 1966), poet, author of Eunoia
Stephanie Bolster
Roo Borson, (born 1952)
Hédi Bouraoui
Nicholas Boving
George Bowering (born 1935)
Marilyn Bowering (born 1949), poet and novelist
David Boyd
George Elroy Boyd
Catherine Bradford
Karleen Bradford
Max Braithwaite (1911-1995) prairie depression era fiction
Dionne Brand (1953- ) poet born in Trinidad and Tobago
Di Brandt (1952 – ) Manitoba poet and literary critic
Jacques Brault (1933- )
Brian Brett
Robert Bringhurst (1946- ) poet, author, and typographer
David Bromige (1944- ) poet
Barry Broadfoot (1926-2003) interviewer, author
Bertram Brooker theosophist painter
Nicole Brossard (1943- ) formalist poet
Robert Budde (1966- ) poet and novelist
Margaret Buffie
Bonnie Burnard (1945- ) novelist, The Good House
Mick Burrs
Sharon Butala (1940- )
Anthony M. Buzzelli

C

Barry Callaghan (born 1937) novelist and journalist
Morley Callaghan (1903-1990) novelist and writer of short fiction, wrote A Fine and Private Place
Elspeth Cameron, (born 1943) biographer
Silver Donald Cameron (born 1937)
James Cameron (born 1910) poet and critic
Phil Campagna
Natalee Caple
Bliss Carman (1861-1929) poet, wrote Low Tide on Grand Pre
David Carpenter
Roch Carrier (born 1937) French-Canadian novelist and writer of short fiction, wrote La Guerre, Yes Sir!, as well as the children's story The Hockey Sweater (Le chandail de hockey)
Anne Carson, (born 1950)
Gillian Chan
Pierre Francois Xavier de Charlevoix (1682-1761), first historian of New France.
Wayson Choy (born 1939)
Lesley Choyce (born 1951)
Greg Clark (1892-1977), humourist
Austin Clarke (born 1934)
George Elliott Clarke (born 1960) poet, U of T professor
Lynn Coady (born 1970)
Leonard Cohen, (born 1934), poet and singer
Matt Cohen (born 1942)
Samuel Nathan Cohen (1923-1971) drama critic
Helena Coleman
John Robert Columbo (born 1936), poet and compiler of reference books
Karen Connelly (born 1969)
Ralph Conner (also known as Charles William Gordon), The Man from Glengarry, Glengarry School Days.
George Ramsay Cook (born 1931), historian
Hugh Cook (born 1942)
Michael Cook
Dennis Cooley (born 1944)
Doug Cooper
John Paul Copeland
Thomas B. Costain (1885-1965), historical fiction
Douglas Coupland, (born 1961), Generation X, Girlfriend in a Coma
Isabella Valancy Crawford
Donald Creighton (1902-1979), historian
Octave Crémazie (1827-1879), French-Canadian poet
Lynn Crosbie daring prose stylist
Lorna Crozier (born 1948)
Michael Crummey
Peter Cummings
Alan Cumyn (born 1960)
Richard Cumyn
Herb Curtis
Leona Czwartkowski (born 1949), author, poet, and eMedia artist

D

Annie Charlton Dalton
Frank Davey (1940- )
Robertson Davies, (1913-1995) wrote Fifth Business (1970), publisher, professor, journalist
Mazo de la Roche (1879-1961), Jalna saga
Charles de Lint
Sandra Dempsey
Barry Dempster
Alexander Dewdney computer science and philosophy
Christopher Dewdney (1951- )
Mary di Michele
Kildare Dobbs (1923- ) short story writer
Cory Doctorow (1971- )
Don Domanski (1950- )
Candas Dorsey (1960- )
Heather Down
Clive Doucet
William Henry Drummond, (1854-1907), poet, The habitant
Marcel Dubé
Réjean Ducharme (1941- )
Louis Dudek (1918-2001), poet
Dave Duncan (1933- )
Margaret Dyment

E

Eaton, Edith Maude (1865–1914), author
Eaton, Winnifred (1875–1954), author
Howard Engel (1931- ), mystery writer
Marian Engel (1933-1985), novelist
C. J. Everon, (born 1971), historian and novelist

F

Emil Ludwig Fackenheim (1916-2003), historian, philosopher
Edmundo Farolan
Brian Fawcett
Trevor Ferguson (1947- )
Jacques Ferron (1921-1985), playwright
Joy Fielding (1945- ), novelist
B.K. Filson
Timothy Findley, (1930-2002), The Wars, Pilgrim
Sheree Fitch
Judith Fitzgerald
Barbara Fletcher
Helen Forrester (1919- ), novelist
Cecil Foster
Tess Fragoulis
Brad Fraser
John Anderson Fraser (1944- ), author former editor of Saturday Night Magazine
Raymond Fraser author of "Rum River", Costa Blanca", etc.
Sylvia Fraser (1935- ), novelist
Louis Fréchette, (1839-1908), poet, essayist, journalist, dramatist
David French (1939- ), playwright
Patrick Friesen
Robert Froetsch
Northrop Frye (1912-1991), influential critic, Shakespeare and Blake scholar
Robert Fulford autodictat, journalist
Nicola Furlong
James V. Fusco

G

Grover Gall
Mavis Gallant (born 1922)
Francois Xavier Garneau (1809-1866), writer and historian
Saint-Denys Garneau (1912-1943), poet
Hugh Garner (1913-1979), novelist
Pauline Gedge (born 1945), novelist
Camilla Gibb (born 1968), novelist
Graem C. Gibson (born 1934), novelist
Margaret Gibson
William Gibson (born 1948) Pioneering cyberpunk author, Neuromancer, All Tomorrow's Parties
Sky Gilbert
Joanna Glass
Jacques Godbout
David Godfrey
Robert Goldsmith (1794-1861), first English-language Canadian poet
Leona Gom
Phyllis Gotlieb (born 1926), poet and science-fiction writer
Sondra Gotlieb (born 1936), newspaper columnist
Hiromi Goto
Katherine Govier (born 1948)
Lee Gowan
Barbara Gowdy (born 1950) The Romantic; The White Bone and short stories
Neile Graham
George Grant (1918-1988), historian
Ed Greenwood, fantasy novelist and Forgotten Realms creator
Grey Owl (1888-1938), conservationist
John Grey
Frederick Phillip Grove (1879-1948)
Richard Grove
Genni Gunn (born 1949)
Kristjana Gunnars
Ralph Gustafson (1909-1995), poet
Sandra Gwyn (born 1935), novelist

H

Joan Haggerty
Roderick Haig-Brown (1941- )
Arthur Hailey (1920-2004), indefatigable researcher, author of Hotel (1965), Airport (1968)
Thomas Chandler Haliburton One of Canada's first authors, writer of The Clockmaker series
Jane Hamilton
Claire Harris (1937- )
Marjorie Harris
Kristen den Hartog
Elisabeth Harvor
Barbara Haworth-Attard (1953- )
Anne Hébert, Acadian author, educator Kamouraska
Steven Heighton
David Helwig
Louis Hémon (1880-1913), novelist and journalist, Maria Chapdelaine
John Herbert
Sheila Heti
Tomson Highway (1951- ) native playwright Dry Lips Moved to Kapuskasing
Robert Hilles (1951- )
Jack Hodgins (1938- )
Greg Hollingshead (1947- )
Hugh Hood (1928-2000), Master work is 12 volume novel-series (The New Age).
Cornelia Hoogland (1952- )
Nalo Hopkinson
Jan Horner
Harold Horwood (1923- )
Tanya Huff
Matt Hughes
Bruce Hunter
Catherine Hunter
Maureen Hunter
Nancy Huston (born 1953)
Hazel Hutchins
Bruce Hutchison

I

J

Donald Jack (1924-2003)
J. Robert Janes (born 1932)
Mark Anthony Jarman
K.V. Johansen (1968- )
E. Pauline Johnson (1861-1913)
Wayne Johnston
Andy Jones comedic playwright and performer
Terry Jordan
John Joyce

K

Surjeet Kalsey
Smaro Kamboureli
Alan Kane (1954- ), Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies
Welwyn Wilton Katz
Guy Gavriel Kay (1954- ) fantasy genre fiction
Lionel Kearns (1937- )
Crawford Kilian
Crad Kilodney
Jack King
Thomas King (1943- )
Mark Kingwell
W.P. Kinsella (1935- ), writes novels about baseball and natives Field of Dreams
Alex Kizuk
Raymond Knister
Joy Kogawa, Obasan
Lawrence Kootnikoff
Gordon Korman
Myrna Kostash
Henry Kriesel
John Krizanc
Robert Kroetsch (1927- )
Robert N. Kucey, (1940- )

L

Tim Lander
Patrick Lane (1939- ), poet
Evelyn Lau (1971- )
Margaret Laurence (1926 – 1987) novelist, wrote "The Stone Angel"
Irving Layton (1912- )
Stephen Leacock, (1869-1944), McGill University economics and political science prof. text book writer and intenational renowned humorist
Dennis Lee (1939- ) – writer of children's poetry
Sky Lee
Mark Leiren-Young (1962- )
John Lent
Dorothy Livesay
Pat Lowther, poet (1935-1975)
Malcolm Lowry, (1909-1957) wrote Under the Volcano in Canada (1947)

M

Agnes Maule Machar
Ann-Marie MacDonald
Bernell MacDonald, (born 1950)
Hugh MacDonald
Jake MacDonald
Gwendolyn MacEwen (1941-1987)
Isabel Ecclestone Mackay
Hugh MacLennan (1907-1990) novelist and essayist, wrote Two Solitudes and Barometer Rising
Michael MacLennan
Alistair MacLeod, (born 1936)
Elizabeth Macleod, biographer
Antonine Maillet (born 1929), Acadian author, educator
Kevin Major (born 1949)
Eli Mandel
Miriam Mandel
David Manicom (born 1960) poet, novelist, diplomat.
Lee Maracle (born 1950) Poet/novelist from the Squamish Nation. She was one of the first Aboriginal people to be published in the early 1970s.
Daphne Marlatt (born 1942)
John Marlyn, (1912-1985)
David Margoshes (born 1941)
Nicole Markotic
Yann Martel, (born 1963), 2002 Booker Prize Winner
Carol Matas (born 1949)
Shirlee Smith Matheson
Steve McCaffery
Nellie McClung, crusading journalist, MP
John McCrae, (1872-1918), ("In Flanders' Fields")
David McFadden
James McIntyre, (1827-1906), the "Cheese Poet," known as the worst poet in Canadian history
Don McKay poet
Rhonda McLean
Marshall McLuhan, (1911-1980), English professor and media studies author
Susan McMaster
Robert McNeil
Sylvia McNicoll
John Metcalf (born 1938)
Anne Michaels
Christine Michels
Roy Miki
Rohinton Mistry, (born 1952), Such a Long Journet, A Fine Balance
Jane Mitchell
Jared Mitchell
W.O. Mitchell (1914-1998), Who has Seen the Wind
Lucy Maud Montgomery, (1874-1942), Anne of Green Gables
Susanna Moodie (nee Strickland), (1803-1885), Roughing it in the Bush
Brian Moore (1921-1999)
Jeffrey Moore (born 1952)
Lisa Moore
Keith Moreau, (born 1951), writer and illustrator of children's books like ABC Fun Things Book
Edythe Morahan de Lauzon, poet
Pierre Morency (born 1942), poet and playwright
Bernice Morgan
Donna Morrissey
Kim Morrissey
Colin Morton
Daniel David Moses, Aboriginal poet and playwright
Tara Moss (born 1973) – wrote Fetish
Erin Moure
Farley Mowat, (born 1921) Never Cry Wolf, My Discovery of America
Karen Mulholland
Robert Munsch (born 1945), American born writer of children's stories
Allison Muri
Alice Munro, (born 1931)
Jim Munroe
John Murrell
Jai Murugan
Susan Musgrave (born 1951), poet and novelist

N

Brian Nation
Émile Nelligan, (1879-1941), French-Canadian poet
John Newlove
George D. Nicholls
Kimberlley Nickmann
bpNichol (1944-1988), poet
Hal Niedzviecki
James Norman
Henri Nouwen
Alden Nowlan (1933-1983)

O

Sheldon Oberman
Michael Ondaatje, (1943- ) wrote The English Patient (1993)
Kenneth Oppel
Stephen Osborne

P

P.K. Page (born 1916)
Kevin Patterson
Len Peterson
Marjorie Pickthall
Ted Plantos
Simone Poirier-Bures
Daniel Poliquin
Sharon Pollock (born 1936)
Jacques Poulin, "The "Jimmy" Trilogy" (translated titled)
B.W. Powe
E.J. Pratt (1883-1964), poet
Robert Priest, poet
Jean Baptiste Proulx, (1846-1904), dramatist and essayist
Al Purdy (born 1918), poet

Q

Darlene Quaife
Paul Quarrington (born 1953)

R

Thomas Raddall (1903-1994), historical novelist
Gurcharan Rampuri
Michael Redhill
Nino Ricci (born 1959)
David Adams Richards, (1950- )
Mordecai Richler, (1931-2001) The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1959)
Gwen Pharis Ringwood (1910-1984), Western Canadian playwright
Ringuet (Phllipe Panneton) (1895-1960)
Sir Charles G.D. Roberts (1860-1943) author of a number of "animal stories"
Ken Roberts
Paul William Roberts
Eden Robinson
Ajmer Rode Indo-Canadian writer, bilingual, poet, playwright, translator
Spider Robinson American born Science-Fiction/humour writer, "Callahan's Crosstime Saloon"
Don Rogalski
Richard Rohmer (born 1924)
Linda Rogers
Leon Rooke (born 1934)
Patrick Roscoe
Sinclair Ross 1908-1996, renowned short story author
Gabrielle Roy, (1909-1983)The Tin Flute
Jane Rule (born 1931)
George Ryga (1932-1987), playwright and novelist

S

Michelle Sagara West, fantasy author
Rick Salutin (born 1942), political writer, essayist editor
John Ralston Saul, (born 1947) businessman, essayist, diplomat
Robert J. Sawyer, (born 1960)
Andreas Schroeder
Alvin Schwartz
Duncan Scott (1862-1947), poet
Frank Scott (1899-1985), poet
Djanet Sears, playwright and actor
Shyam Selvadurai
Robert W. Service (1874-1958), poet of the Yukon
Ernest Thompson Seton (1860-1946)
Mark Shainblum
Murphy O. Shewchuk
Carol Shields, (1935-2003)
Maggie Siggins
Marsha Skrypuch
Josef Skvorecky (born 1924 in Czechoslovakia, professor of English in Canada since 1969, but still writing his fiction in Czech), novelist, essayist, The Engineer of Human Souls (1984 Governor General's Award)
Joshua Slocum (1844-1909), sailor and author
Beverly Slopen
Elizabeth Smart, (1913-1986)
Russell Smith
Taylor Smith
Evan Solomon
Raymond Souster (born 1921), poet
Esta Spalding
Adrian Speyer (1977-), poet and author
Birk Sproxton (1943- )
Richard Stevenson
Kathy Stinson
Anne Stone
Samuel Strickland, (1804–1867) Twenty-seven Years in Canada West
Rosemary Sullivan
Rita Summers
James L. Swanson
Robert Sward
Mark Swartz
George Swede
Caitlin Sweet
Scott Symons
Anne Szumigalski

T

Kevin Taylor
Timothy Taylor
Yves Theriault (1915-1983)
Sharon Thesen
Audrey Thomas
Ernest Thompson Seton (1860-1946) wrote about the Canadian wilderness
John Thompson
Elizabeth Thornton
Miriam Toews
Morley Torgov (born 1927)
Catharine Parr Traill (nee Strickland) (1802-1899), Life in the Backwoods of Canada
Rhea Tregebov
Michel Tremblay (born 1942)
Dietmar Trommeshauser
Maxine Trottier
Stuart Douglas Trueman
Élise Turcotte
Michael Turner

U

Jane Urquhart (born 1949), novelist

V

W.D. Valgardson, The Girl with the Bottecelli Face
Pierre Vallières
Edo Van Belkom
Guy Vanderhaeghe (1951- )
Kees Vanderhayden
Brain Vanderlip
Aritha Van Herk (1954- ),
A. E. van Vogt (1912-2000), science fiction writer
Jean Vanier
M.G. Vassanji
Margaret Visser

W

Fred Wah
Bronwen Wallace
Ted Warnell
David Watmough
Sheila Watson (1909-1998),
Alison Wearing
John Weier
Elizabeth Wellburn
Frank Westcott
Mavis West
Thomas Wharton
Rudy Wiebe (1934- ), novelist
Diana Wieler, Bad Boy, Drive
Ethel Wilson (1888-1980), Swamp Angel, Hettie Dorval, "The Window"
Rob Winger
Michael Winter
Adele Wiseman (1928-1992), novelist and poet
Beverly Wood
George Woodcock (1912-1995), poet, critic and anarchist, author of Anarchism
Patrick Woodcock
Marnie Woodrow
Lance Woolaver
Eric Wright (1929- ), children's mystery writer
L.R. Wright

Y

Scott Young (1918- ), novelist

Z

Robert L.J. Zenik (1950- ), poet, writer, and eMedia artist
Jan Zwicky